WARFARE
Starring: D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett, Taylor John Smith, Michael Gandolfini, Adain Bradley, Noah Centineo, Evan Holtzman, Henrique Zaga, Joseph Quinn, and Charles Melton
Directors: Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza
NICK
If we’re just grading on accuracy and realism, then Warfare would be an easy five out of five. This is an immersive, unforgettable sensory experience. That’s the thing, though. It’s more of an experience than a film. There’s no real character development or backstory; no beginning, middle, or end. It’s like an elevated, true-to-life Call of Duty mission, and I mean that with no offense because it is remarkable. Every cast member brings authenticity and poise to their roles (Joseph Quinn's screams will stay with me for some time), but it's the direction from Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza that really makes this thing stand out.
ADRIANO
At what point do we watch something like Warfare and ask, "is this even a movie?" It admittedly does an excellent job of immersing audiences in the gruelling reality of combat, but still… Truthfully, the sound work, makeup, Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza's direction, and the performances are all effective in really making this an experience. However, that is all this is. An experience. Warfare is nothing more than immersion without real substance, point, or, character development. Very late in the movie, I couldn't help but think, “is this it?" And low and behold, it was.
PAIGE
Directors Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland may deliver an immersive and polarizing film with stellar sound design that will leave your ears ringing, but overall, Warfare just ends up feeling like a 90-minute Call of Duty mission. With no real plot or arc, its story becomes soulless. The ensemble’s performances are extremely authentic, but there isn’t any characterization with these characters. Frankly, there isn't much at all to take away from this suffocating and harrowing film, so even though it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the platoon's mission, I couldn't help but feel empty by the time it was over.
BODE
The best way to describe Warfare is if directors Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland took the D-Day sequence that opens Saving Private Ryan and stretched it out to 95 minutes. It’s as immersive as a film conveying “war is hell” can be, as its visceral brutality is accentuated by its refusal to rely on much in the way of typical cinematic devices like traditional storytelling rules, intimate character details, or a digestible narrative (an almost-deafening sound design, notwithstanding). It’s an unsatisfying experience by design, but I have much respect for it.
QUENTIN
Warfare is the type of movie that treats the scenario at hand, as opposed to the people on screen, as the main character, providing a wholly immersive battlefield experience through gritty realism and tremendous sound design. As a veteran, I’ve been close enough to similar real-life situations to know Warfare is as close as one can get to confronting the fog of war without actually enlisting. The palpable tension, distressing uncertainty, and jarring what-the-fuck-do-we-do?! chaos — it’s all there for 95 edge-of-your-seat minutes. Fair warning, though… Warfare will be much better on the big screen than at home, and it could be triggering for some combat veterans.
